General setup before creating a product specification

Product Specification • Article • 11/26/2025 •

The topics in this section elaborate on the general setup, such as setting up ingredients, ingredient groups, additives, additive categories, allergens, nutritional values, nutritional value categories, testing standards, standard groups, methods, attributes, and texts required to create and calculate semi-product or end product specifications.

Set up ingredient categories

Use the Ingredient Categories page to set up ingredient categories. An ingredient category allows to group the related ingredients under a category in the product specification.

Example: You can create an ingredient category called Vegetable and later link it to the ingredients tomato and carrot on theIngredients page. The ingredients tomato and carrot are shown under the code Vegetable when the product specification is printed.

Select the Search icon , enter Ingredient Categories and then choose the related link.
The Ingredient Categories page opens.
Select New.
In the Code field, enter a code to identify the ingredient category in the product specification. For example, create a category called "HERBS" to later link the ingredients such as "Oregano" and "Basil" on the Ingredients page.
In the Description field, enter a brief description of the ingredient category.
To set up translations for an ingredient category code in the customer’s language or another language, select Related > Ingredient Category > Translations in the action bar and select the language code with appropriate text in the description to print in the product specification.

Set up ingredients

On the Ingredients page, set up all the ingredients possible to have in an item. Example: The basic ingredients of a cake are sugar, wheat flour, eggs, vegetable fat, water, and salt.

Later, link the ingredients to the raw materials in the product specification. The linked ingredients are shown under the ingredient declaration in the product specification report.

Select the Search icon , enter Ingredients and then choose the related link.
The Ingredients page opens.
Select New.
In the Code field, enter a code to identify the ingredient in the product specification.
In the Description field, enter a brief description of the ingredient.
In the Default Category Code field, select the category that the ingredient belongs to. For example, for the ingredient tomato or carrot select the ingredient category Vegetables.
You can either select the ingredient category from the existing drop-down list or create a new category by clicking New for the currently selected ingredient.
Select the Print Description Bold checkbox to print the ingredient name in boldface in the product specification without printing the actual allergen name present in the ingredient.
The food legislation in certain regions may require displaying the ingredient name in bold letters in the declaration if any allergens are present in the ingredient.
To set up translations for an ingredient code in the customer’s language or another language, select Related > Ingredient > Translations in the action bar and select the language code with appropriate text in the description to print in the product specification.
To link one or more allergens to an ingredient, select Related > Ingredient > Allergens in the action bar and open the Ingredient Allergens page.
In the Allergen Code field, select the allergen present in the ingredient either from the existing drop-down list or create a new allergen by clicking New for the currently selected ingredient.
Select the Declare Behind Ingredient checkbox to print the allergen name under the ingredient name in the declaration. If you have selected the Print Description Bold checkbox on the Ingredients page, the Declare Behind Ingredient checkbox is selected here by default.
However, you can clear the checkbox when there is less space and skip printing the allergen name on the label/declaration, or the allergen name is equal to the ingredient name, e.g., Milk. In this case, you can print the ingredient name in bold letters to indicate that the ingredient has allergens.
To enter the countries of origin for an ingredient, select Related > Ingredient > Countries of Origin in the action bar and open the Ingredient Countries of Origin page.
In the Country/Region of Origin Code field, select the country/region code that the ingredient originates from.
If you make any changes to the allergens linked to an ingredient in a product specification, then you can update the product specification in which this ingredient is present by selecting the Actions > Functions > Replenish Product Specifications function in the action bar.

Replenish product specifications by status

You can replenish product specifications for selected ingredients based on specific statuses.

Select the Replenish Product Specifications action.
The Select Product Specification Statuses page opens.
Turn on the toggles for the statuses you want to include:
- Turn on the New toggle to include product specifications with New status.
- Turn on the Under Development toggle to include product specifications with Under Development status.
- Turn on the Closed toggle to include product specifications with Closed status.
- Turn on the Certified toggle to include product specifications with Certified status.
Select OK. The system replenishes all product specifications for the selected ingredient(s) with the chosen statuses.

You can select multiple statuses to replenish product specifications across different status categories.

Set up ingredient groups

Use groups to declare ingredients in a product specification within a group or when a single ingredient is added for different purposes or appearances. For example, in a pizza, Salt can be part of the group Sauce and the group Cheese.

Select the Search icon , enter Ingredient Groups and then choose the related link.
The Ingredient Groups page opens.
Select New.
In the Code field, enter a code to identify the ingredient group in the product specification.
In the Description field, enter a brief description of the ingredient group.
Select the QUID group checkbox to declare the quantity of an ingredient or ingredient group in percentage terms. Example: For the group Cheese, it is required to enter the percentage of the cheese present in the product when declaring the product specification.
To set up translations for an ingredient group in the customer’s language or another language, select Related > Ingredient Group > Translations in the action bar and select the language code with appropriate text in the description to print in the product specification.

Set up allergens

The food legislation in your region may require you to list all the allergens in a product. Use the Allergens page to set up the allergens that can be present in the product. Later, link the allergens to the raw materials or the ingredients to show them in the product specification.

Select the Search icon , enter Allergens and then choose the related link.
The Allergens page opens.
Select New.
In the Code field, enter the code to identify the allergen in the product specification.
In the Description field, enter a brief description of the allergen.
In the GS1 Allergen Code field, enter the allergen type code according to the GS1 standards and data systems. For example, "AW" is the GS1 code for the allergen Gluten, "ML" is the GS1 code for allergen Lactose.
In the Minimum Quantity (ppm) field, enter the minimum quantity of the allergen in parts per million that requires the declaration of the allergen in the ingredient declaration if present in the product.
The application checks if the allergen quantity in the product exceeds the minimum quantity defined here and shows only the allergens in the ingredient declaration when the minimum quantity exceeds.
Select the Declare In Ingredient Declaration checkbox to declare the allergen in the ingredient declaration in the product specification.
To set up translations for an allergen in the customer’s language or another language, select Related > Allergen > Translations in the action bar and select the language code with appropriate text in the description to print in the product specification.
To set up allergens for specific customers, select the allergen from the list and then go to Related > Allergen > Customer Specific Allergens in the action bar.
The Customer Specific Allergens page opens.
In the Customer No. field, select the customer to apply the allergen settings.
In the Minimum Quantity (ppm) field, enter the minimum quantity of the allergen in parts per million that applies to the selected customer. Later, when you create a product specification for the specified customer, the application considers the minimum allergen quantity defined for this customer and not the standard minimum quantity set on the Allergens page.

Set up product specification standards

Define the food testing standards that could be of type physical, chemical, or microbiological to set up for the product specification. The type is used in the product specification report for selection purposes or grouping.

Select the Search icon ,enter Product Specification Standards and then choose the related link.
The Product Specification Standards page opens.
Select New.
In the Code field, enter the code to identify the food testing standard in the product specification.
For example, if a microbiological testing standard is used for salmonella detection and identification in food, then enter "Microbiology" in the Code field. Likewise, if pH of the food is calculated, then enter "Chemical" in the Code field.
In the Description field, enter a brief description of the food testing standard code.
In the Method field, select the testing method used to calculate the food standard. Examples include In-house calculation method and Accredited external lab calculation method.
You can select the method either from the existing drop-down list or create a new method by clicking New for the currently selected standard.
In the Unit of Measure Code field, select the unit of measure that the test results are expressed in.
In the Type field, select the food testing standard type from the options, Chemical, Microbiology and Physical.
In the Sorting Order field, enter the sequence in which the standards must display in the product specification. The sorting happens from the lowest to the highest number. The standard with the lowest sorting order value appears first in the product specification report, followed by the next higher values.
To set up translations for the standard in the customer’s language or another language, select Related > Standard > Translations in the action bar and select the language code with appropriate text in the description to print in the product specification report.

Set up product specification standard groups

Use the Product Specification Standard Groups page to create standard groups.

Create a standard group to group the related food standards together since the standards assigned to a product specification are often the same for certain item groups and item categories.

You can later assign the standards to the product specification all at once by simply copying the standard group. Using standard groups saves time as it avoids assigning standards separately to each product specification.

Select the Search icon , enter Product Specification Standard Groups and then choose the related link.
The Product Specification Standard Groups page opens.
Select New.
In the Code field, enter the code to identify the standard group.
In the Description field, enter a brief description of the standard group.
Select Lines > Standards in the action bar to open the Product Specification Standard Group Lines page. You can include the standards for the currently selected standard group on this page.
In the Standard field, select the food standard code to include in the currently selected group.
In the Minimum field, enter what the minimum quantity from the test calculation result can be to comply with the food standard.
In the Maximum field, enter what the maximum quantity from the test calculation result can be to comply with the food standard. If the result exceeds the maximum value, then the product is not safe for consumption and needs to be blocked.
In the Tolerance field, enter the tolerance of the measured value. For example, when the measured weight is 510 mg, and the scale can have a deviation of 0.5 mg, then the tolerance is 0.5.
In the Sorting Order field, enter the sequence in which the standard must display within the standard group in the product specification. The sorting happens from the lowest to the highest number.

Similarly, you can add multiple standard entries to the standard group.

Set up product specification methods

Use the Product Specification Methods page to set up the testing methods used to calculate the food standard. Examples include In-house calculation method and Accredited external lab calculation method.

Select the Search icon , enter Product Specification Methods and then choose the related link.
The Product Specification Methods page opens.
Select New.
In the Code field, enter the code to identify the testing method.
In the Description field, enter a brief description of the method used in testing the food standard.
To set up translations for the method in the customer’s language or another language, select Related > Method > Translations in the action bar and select the language code with appropriate text in the description to print in the product specification.

Set up product specification attributes

Set up the product specification attributes to link to the product specification. The attributes entered for the raw material product specifications are copied to the end product specification when calculating the product specification for the end product.

Select the Search icon , enter Product Specification Attributes and then choose the related link.
The Product Specification Attributes page opens.
Select New.
In the Attribute Code field, enter the code to identify the product specification attribute.
In the Description field, enter a brief description of the product specification attribute like "Raw material is IFS certified" or "Raw material is BRC certified".
To set up translations for the attribute in the customer’s language or another language, select Related > Attribute > Translations in the action bar and select the language code with appropriate text in the description to print in the product specification.

Set up product specification texts

Use the Product Specification Texts page to assign predefined text to a product specification. You can set up predefined texts for different text types like Packaging information, Legislation, Storage advice, Preparation advice, Ingredient declaration, including others. Use the text type to specify the location of the text in the product specification report. For example, if you enter the text for the type Nutritional Value on the Product Specification Texts page, the text entered shows as additional information in the Nutritional Values section in the product specification report.

Select the Search icon , enter Product Specification Texts and then choose the related link.
The Product Specification Texts page opens.
Select New.
In the Code field, enter the code to identify the predefined text.
In the Description field, enter a brief description of the text code. Note that the description entered here does not print in the product specification report, on the Lines FastTab.
In the Type field, select the text type from the drop-down list to specify the location of the text in the product specification report. For example, if you select the Allergens type, the related text that you enter shows as additional information under the Allergens section in the product specification report.
In the Sorting Order field, enter the sequence in which the text must display in the report if the texts are of the same type, that is, if there are two entries of the same text type. Suppose there are two text entries of the same text type, you can specify which text must list first in the additional information box in the report.
To enter the text, go to Related > Text > Translations in the action bar.
In the Language Filter field, the default language is set based upon the language selected on the My Settings page. The text is displayed in default language in the product specification report.
In the Description field, enter the text that you want to show as additional information in the report based upon the text type.
To set up the translation of the text in different languages, select other language codes in the Language Filter field and enter the appropriate texts in the Description field to print in the product specification report.
Go to the Product Specification Texts page and view the text that you just entered on the Lines FastTab in the Description field.

Set up product specification text groups

Use the Product Specification Text Groups page to create text groups.

Create a text group to group the related texts together since the texts assigned to a product specification are often the same for certain item groups and item categories.

You can later assign the texts to the product specification all at once by simply copying the text group. Using text groups saves time as it avoids assigning texts separately to each product specification.

Select the Search icon , enter Product Specification Text Groups and then choose the related link.
The Product Specification Text Groups page opens.
Select New.
In the Code field, enter the code to identify the text group.
In the Description field, enter a brief description of the text group.
Select Lines > Texts in the action bar to open the Product Specification Text Group Lines page. You can include the texts for the currently selected text group on this page.
In the Text Code field, select the text code to include in the currently selected group.

Similarly, you can add multiple text entries to the text group.

Set up product specification pictures

Set up pictures on the Product Specification Pictures page. You can later link the picture to a product specification for informational purposes, like the picture of a vendor label for raw material. However, these pictures do not print in the product specification report.

Select the Search icon , enter Product Specification Pictures and then choose the related link.
The Product Specification Pictures page opens.
Select New.
In the Code field, enter the code to identify the picture that you want to upload in the FactBox pane.
In the Description field, enter a brief description for the picture.
In the FactBox, click the Picture dropdown button and then select Import to insert the required picture.

Set up additive categories

Define additive categories on the Additive Categories page to later link the additives to an additive category.

Select the Search icon , enter Additive Categories and then choose the related link.
The Additive Categories page opens.
Select New.
In the Code field, enter the code to identify the additive category. Examples include Preservative, Antioxidant, Emulsifier, and Bulking agent.
In the Description field, enter a brief description of the additive category.
In the Description Plural field, enter the description of the additive category in plural. Use this field when there is more than one additive with the same category in the product.
To set up translations for an additive category in the customer’s language or another language, select Related > Additive Category > Translations in the action bar and select the language code with appropriate text in the description to print in the product specification.

Set up additives

Additives are added to food and beverage products to change the characteristics of a product. Examples of additives include Preservatives, Coloring agents, Antioxidants, Emulsifiers, and Thickeners.

Use the Additives page to set up the additives, define the E number for the additive, specify if the E number or the Additive description must print by default in the report or label.

You can also set up allergens for additives and define customer-specific additives.

Select the Search icon , enter Additives and then choose the related link.
The Additives page opens.
Select New.
In the Code field, enter the E number to identify the additive, for example, E250.
The Code for Report field populates with the same value that you enter in the Code field. This is to make it possible to also enter a lowercase letter, for example, E300a. In the Code field, this isn’t possible since the letters appear in uppercase.
In the Description field, enter a brief description of the additive, for example, Sodium Nitrite.
In The Default Category Code field, select the category that the additive belongs to from the drop-down list. Example: Preservatives.
Select the Default Print on Declaration checkbox to print the additive description under the ingredient declaration in the product specification report. This checkbox is selected by default, however you can clear the checkbox.
Select the Default Print E no. Decl. checkbox to print the E number, example E250, by default under the ingredient declaration in the product specification report.
If you clear this checkbox, additive description is printed in the declaration instead of the E number.
Select the Default Print E no. Label checkbox to print the E number on the label by default. If you clear this checkbox, additive description is printed on the label instead of the E number.
Select the Print Description Bold checkbox to print the additive on the label in bold letters if an allergen is linked to an additive.
To set up translations for an additive in the customer’s language or another language, select Related > Additive > Translations in the action bar and select the language code with appropriate text in the description to print in the product specification.
To link one or more allergens to an ingredient, select Related > Additive > Allergens in the action bar.
In the Allergen Code field, select the allergen present in the additive either from the existing drop-down list or create a new allergen by clicking New for the currently selected additive.
Select the Declare Behind Ingredient checkbox to print the allergen name under the additive name in the product specification.
If you have selected the Print Description Bold checkbox on the Additives page, the Declare Behind Ingredient checkbox is selected here by default. You can clear the checkbox when there is less space on the label/declaration and skip printing the allergen name. In this case, you can print the additive name in bold letters to indicate that the additive has allergens.
To set up additives for specific customers, select the additive from the list and then go to Related > Additive > Customer Specific Additives in the action bar.
The Customer Specific Additive page opens.
In the Customer No. field, select the customer to apply the additive settings.
In the Customer Additive Description field, enter a brief description of the additive.
Make the required selections for the Default Print E no. Label checkbox, the Default Print E no. Decl. checkbox, and the Default Print on Declaration checkbox. The application considers these selections when printing the product specification report for the specified customer and not the selections made on the Additives page.
To enter the countries of origin for an additive, select Related > Additive > Countries of Origin in the action bar.
In the Country/Region of Origin Code field, select the country/region code that the additive originates from.
If you make any changes to the additive, then you can update the product specification in which this additive is present by selecting the Actions > Functions > Replenish Product Specifications function in the action bar.

The changes could be clearing or selecting the checkbox to print the E number or description or modifying the allergen linked to this additive in a product specification.

Set up nutritional value categories

Define nutritional value categories on the Nutritional Value Categories page to later link the nutritional values to a nutritional value category.

Example of categories: Vitamins and Minerals or Nutritional Values

Link values like Calcium, Zinc, Vitamin A, Thiamin, Niacin, or Vitamin E to the Vitamins and Minerals category.

Similarly, link values like Fat, Sugars, or Protein to the Nutritional Values category.

Select the Search icon , enter Nutritional Value Categories and then choose the related link.
The Nutritional Value Categories page opens.
Select New.
In the Code field, enter the code to identify the nutritional value category.
In the Description field, enter a brief description of the nutritional value category, like Vitamins or Minerals.
To set up translations for a nutritional value in the customer’s language or another language, select Related > Category > Translations in the action bar and select the language code with appropriate text in the description to print in the product specification.

Set up nutritional values

The nutrients that can be declared in the product specification include carbohydrates, fat, sugars, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.

Use the Nutritional Values page to define nutritional values and their unit of measure, assign a method, and specify which nutritional values must be inserted by default when creating a new product specification.

Also, enter a sorting order for the nutritional values to print in the report, set up the rounding precision, and set up the nutrient reference intake to calculate its percentage per portion of the product or 100 grams.

You can also set up the state of the product on dilution, evaporation, and moisture change.

Select the Search icon , enter Nutritional Values and then choose the related link.
The Nutritional Values page opens.
Select New.
Fill in the fields described in the following table:

Field	Description
Code	Enter the code to identify the nutritional value.
Description	Enter a brief description of the nutritional value.
Value Category Code	Select the nutritional value category that the nutritional value belongs to either from the existing drop-down list or click New and create a new category.
Unit of Measure	Select the unit of measurement that the nutritional value is expressed in either from the existing drop-down list or click New and create a new unit of measurement.
Method Code	Select the method used to calculate the nutrition, for example, the lab method used to calculate the quantity of protein or vitamin in the product.
Default Insert	Select the checkbox to insert the nutritional value by default when creating the product specification. You can change this selection on the Nutritional Values page linked to the product specification.
Sorting Order	Enter the sequence in which the nutritional value must display under the Nutritional Values section in the product specification report.
Default Print	Select the checkbox to print the nutritional value by default under the Nutritional Values section in the product specification report or on the label. You can change this selection on the Nutritional Values page linked to the product specification.
Default Print Per Portion	Select the checkbox to print the nutritional value per portion by default in the product specification or label.
Rounding Precision	Enter the precision to which the decimal value must be rounded for the nutritional value in the product specification, for example 0.01, or 0.1, or 1.
Rounding Direction	The rounding direction works based on the rounding precision value. Select the rounding direction for the nutritional value in the product specification from the following options: Upwards: Select this to round the value upwards to the next higher decimal number. For example, if the nutritional value of a nutrient in the product is 34.56 and the rounding precision is 0.1, then the value is rounded to 34.6. Downwards: Select this to round the value downwards to the next lowest decimal number. For example, if the nutritional value of a nutrient in the product is 34.56 and the rounding precision is 0.1, then the value is rounded to 34.5. Closest: Select this to round the value to the nearest decimal number. For example, if the nutritional value of a nutrient in the product is 34.56 and the rounding precision is 0.1, then the value is rounded to 34.6.
Reference Intake	Enter the recommended nutrient intake for a person in the specified unit of measure. This quantity is used in the product specification to calculate the percentage of the reference intake.
Rounding Precision %RI	Enter the rounding precision for the Reference Intake percentage in the product specification, for example the reference nutrient intake percentages can be rounded to 0.1 or 1.
Rounding Direction %RI	The rounding direction % RI works based on the rounding precision %RI value. Select the rounding direction for the reference nutrient intake percentage in the product specification from the following options: Upwards: Select this to round the percentage upwards to the next highest decimal number. For example, if the reference intake percentage of a nutrient in the product is 34.56 % and the rounding precision %RI is 0.1, then the value is rounded to 34.6%. Downwards: Select this to round the percentage downwards to the next lowest decimal number. For example, if the reference intake percentage of a nutrient in the product is 34.56 % and the rounding precision %RI is 0.1, then the value is rounded to 34.5%. Closest: Select this to round the percentage to the nearest decimal number. For example, if the reference intake percentage of a nutrient in the product is 34.56 % and the rounding precision %RI is 0.1, then the value is rounded to 34.6%.
Default Print %RI Portion	Select the checkbox to print the reference intake percentage per portion of the product.
Default Print %RI 100g	Select the checkbox to print the reference intake percentage per 100g of the product.
Moisture Change	Select how the nutritional value is affected when evaporating or diluting the product during the production process. The options are: Not Affected: Select this if the nutritional value of the product is not affected Regular Affected Nutritional Value: Select this if the nutritional value of the product changes. The value either increases or decreases proportionally on evaporation or dilution of the product. Moisture: Select this if the product’s water content is affected in the opposite way than the other nutritional values. This option applies to the nutritional value "Moisture".

To set up translations for a nutritional value in the customer’s language or another language, select Related > Nutritional Values > Translations in the action bar and select the language code with appropriate text in the description to print in the product specification.